MISSION, S.D. — Between rising food prices and uncertainty over SNAP benefits amid the federal government shutdown, food insecurity remains a growing concern across the region. At Sinte Gleska University on the Rosebud Reservation, one unique program is helping feed the community while also strengthening cultural, physical and spiritual well-being.

This week the university hosted its fourth bison harvest of the year. The event is part of an ongoing effort to reconnect students and the community with traditional food sources and cultural teachings.

“Important for us to be able to do this in a good cultural way,” said Shawn Bordeaux, who was among those attending the harvest.

Steve Her Many Horses, the university’s buffalo manager, helped lead the effort. 

“This morning I asked for his (the bull's) life,” Her Many Horses said. “You get up and pray in the morning. You smudge and you offer tobacco to the man upstairs. I asked for two animals.”

Spiritual practices are central to the event, which is open to the public. Organizers say it’s not just about food — it’s about healing and connection.

“We all treat each other respectively,” said participant Jerrica Donnell. “It's important to know their history too of where we come from and who we are because a lot of that is getting lost nowadays, and right now it’s important to remember that.”

Nearly half of Mission’s residents live below the poverty line, and earlier this year, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe declared a state of emergency amid rising drug use and violence.

“We’re still at an age of dying of 45 years old for the vast majority of our people,” said Arlo Iron Cloud, who, along with his wife, began harvesting bison and teaching others about it nine years ago.

“In the beginning when we first started out in 2016, it was about reconnecting with food,” Iron Cloud said. “As we began to do this process, we began to realize it’s much larger than that. It’s a healing mechanism for our people to reconnect with who we really are.”

During each harvest, the couple teaches participants how to use every part of the animal while sharing lessons about cooperation, nature, and self-compassion.

“People come up to us and say it was very healing. People cry. People are so impacted by what happened here,” Iron Cloud said.

In fact, these harvests have become such a source of healing that Iron Cloud now travels across the country, helping other Native communities reclaim the tradition.

“People are so wanting to be a part of this. It’s in our spirit. It’s part of our way of life, so for us to reconnect only strengthens us as a people,” Iron Cloud said.

The harvested meat will help feed students and support local gatherings, including funerals. But organizers say the most meaningful impact can’t be measured in pounds of meat.

“It’s reintroduced thoughts and ideas, and it’s going to bring our people back together,” Iron Cloud said.